What message would you send your potential customers if you only had 30 seconds to speak?
In the digital world, this brief interaction isn't unheard of—it's the norm. The average mobile user only spends 2.5 minutes on a website across more than four pages, and that number is declining every year.
You don't have a lot of time to impress your visitors. Like an elevator pitch, your homepage design must attract, engage, and tell a clear story about your brand. This article will explain the importance and qualities of a strong homepage and inspire you with five effective homepage design examples.
Research shows 64% of users determine if a website has the right answer to their question within seconds. A compelling homepage design is no longer optional. It plays a crucial role in convincing users to stick around, learn about your brand, and, ultimately, convert. You need a great first impression to win trust and create loyal customers in the long run.
Your prospects will take hints from your user experience—from the ease of navigation to the responsiveness of your website—to make judgments about the reliability of your brand and its products or services. And that means your design will be a driver (or deterrent) for sales.
So, what makes a good homepage design? While there isn't a button above all buttons—or any specific visual elements you need to include, for that matter—virtually all the best website homepage design examples achieve these three goals:
The look and feel of your homepage is basically your company's virtual curb appeal. That means your website needs to be well-organized and eye-catching without clashing design elements or excessive call-to-action buttons. A quality homepage should naturally attract and guide the user through its contents—often leveraging contrasting colors and interactive features in strategic ways.
Website users don't have a lot of patience for poor usability. Three of the most common points of frustration, which drive higher bounce rates, occur when visitors need to:
If you want to keep your audience's attention, you need to iron out any user experience issues on your homepage, from slow loading and broken buttons to unclear navigation and poor responsive design.
Great brands know their target audience and the message they want to send. The best homepage design examples work seamlessly with the copy to communicate how the brand can add value to customers' lives—and, of course, what product or service the company offers.
If your website visitors can identify your value proposition within seconds, your messaging is clear.
Modern web design offers a lot of versatility. A minimalist design can be just as eye-catching as a site with bold colors, and the movement of a GIF can be just as engaging as an interactive element.
The bottom line: Every design choice should reflect your brand.
Achieving the hallmarks of an excellent homepage shouldn't prevent you from maintaining brand consistency and standing out. These five examples of good homepage design demonstrate how leading companies elevate their website experience while creating a unique look and feel.
Airbnb is designed to connect travelers with hosts around the world—and its clean design cuts straight to the chase. In place of a flashy hero image, the vacation rental company places a functional search bar at the top of the page, sending a clear message: Enter your next destination and timeline to bring your ideal travel experience to life.
The UX of this homepage is outstanding. For those interested in exploring global stays, the webpage is easy to navigate, reflecting the mobile app experience. Plus, the minimalist (yet on-brand) color scheme and typography allow Airbnb's most visually appealing stays to take center stage.
Your homepage doesn't have to be static. Apple is constantly delivering excellent homepage design examples—highlighting new products as they come out. This strategic layout reflects the brand's innovative message by always putting its latest developments on display.
The vibrant hero image above reflects the expressive personalization features of Apple's upcoming artificial intelligence (AI) product. However, it still aligns with the company's always-sleek branding. Apple's signature sans serif font and short-but-sweet copy sections are always on display.
At first glance, the muted colors on Dropbox's homepage may be unappealing—but there's a reason for this largely neutral palette: It draws your eyes in with movement.
Right upon entering the homepage, a video highlights how a key Dropbox feature works. As you scroll through the homepage, you'll also see responsive web design elements that keep you engaged. New text appears as you scroll, a video begins as it fully comes into view, and call-to-action (CTA) buttons move as your mouse hovers over them, asking to be clicked.
If you're looking for web design homepage examples that keep you invested in what's next, Dropbox.com is a must-visit.
Entering the Slack website is like experiencing a live demo. It's filled with GIFs and screenshots of the actual product, guiding you through a number of features that are useful to teams.
Most notably, Slack uses color wisely. It places pops of color where it wants customers to pay attention: enticing visuals, CTAs, and metrics that prove the value of its product.
Want to create an immersive experience for your website visitors? Spotify provides a great example of how to do so. The homepage functions exactly like its app, allowing you to browse or search for artists, albums, and playlists. As you hover over different artists or albums, a green play button appears—functioning as an effective CTA.
Spotify.com visitors are drawn to explore. As they find music they're interested in, they'll be invested enough to sign up to listen.
There isn't one single formula for great homepage design. You can get inventive with your website's appearance and functionality while achieving visual appeal, excellent UX, and clear messaging—as you should.
At Pixel Pocket, we boost your creative performance by delivering on-brand homepage and landing page designs at your request without any delays or unpredictable expenses. If you're struggling to brainstorm or execute quality design ideas, explore our subscription plans to simplify and improve your website-building processes.
